turkey followed us home...........

[Aj1911]

ok so a turkey was spotted on the road by my father coming home from work so my mother and i go down to take a look and turns out its tame, needed water and feed really bad and followed us home (we had some bread....what can i say?

)

so i have chickens and guinea fowl and need to know some basics here

1, how long do i have to isolate it before letting it mingle? it looks healthy, poop looks perfect, good wattle color, no breathing problems, good weight, i really dont think it has anything and i dont think my flock has anything (my GLW has been sick lately but i think its mites, worms or a laying problem....maybe something she ate but i'm getting her better and plan to worm my whole flock).

2, can i keep it with the chickens or do i have to make a new pen?

3, is 28% game bird feed ok? i feed that to the guineas and have some on hand

and i do plan to free range it with my other birds. as far as i know there is no blackhead around and people keep turkeys with the chickens all the time

right now i have it on the back porch with feed and water and its fenced in so the chickens cant get up there so as long as it doest fly we should be good

and from what people tell me in the area its been around for 2 days so who ever had it doesnt want it so now its mine! i've always wanted a turkey

 

[PatS]

If no one wants it, I'm glad you have it. I worry that one if one of mine hopped the fence and got lost that I wouldn't get it back, so I hope you checked around.

Game bird feed should be fine for now. Do you have any idea how old it i? Can you post a pic.? (It may not need quite so much protein, but for a bit, it will be fine.)

I think most folks separate new birds for a month or so.

 

[Aj1911]

Quote:
i looked around and no one was looking/had adds up no lost posts in the paper and it being gone for 2 days well if they cared they would still be looking i would think so most likely they just had it to butcher in which case i doubt they will miss it

now the guy down the road said it might belong to the people that had goats but they butchered the goats so my guess is they would do the same to the turkey all tho i will ask around just in case but no one looking for it means i will prolly keep it

as for age idk looks about butchering size, about 16-18lbs when i picked it up and looked it over, its a hen and looks to be a BB bronze.

i also have chicken layer at 16% protein.

like i said tho looks to be in perfect health with 0 problems only thing was it needed water really really badly.

 

[OmaBird]

I don't bring in new birds but a month seams long to me. I would think in a week you would see if anything is wrong.

 

[thaiturkey]

Quote:
A week feels about right to me.

A pic. would help members to give you more advice.

Good of you to care!

 

[geebs]

pix please.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

A month is what we use for quarantine. 2 weeks by itself and then we take one of our own flock that we can stand to loose and put them together for 2 more weeks. Poultry can be carriers and show no outward symptoms, just because a bird looks ok you have no idea what it has been exposed to. This year we ordered peafowl from Leggs peafowl (one of the premier breeders in the country) and even with Brad's reputation when the birds got to us they went thru the same process.

Steve

 

[OmaBird]

If a bird is a carrier does the disease go away after a month and he know longer is a carrier? I thought if a bird is a carrier he is for life.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Yes it will always be a carrier, but how would you know if you wait a week and toss it in with your flock? I guess you would figure something was wrong when the original birds started showing symptoms but it's a little late then.

then we take one of our own flock that we can stand to loose and put them together for 2 more weeks.

that is the reason we add a sacrifical bird. If the new bird is a carrier the chances are very high it will pass it on.


Some issues have an incubation period as well.....longer than a week.

Steve​

 

[OmaBird]

As I said I don't bring in new birds or even hatching eggs that can be a source of disease, so I risk nothing. There is to many diseases that are passed by the birds by flies and misquotes. Just because they not in with your birds or only with junk birds does not mean your other birds are safe. I use to live where everytime the wind blew eveyones birds got sick.

Bringing in new birds regardless of time is a risk. Just letting the bird follow her home is a risk to all the birds already. I don't find much of a difference in a week or a month. Birds like being in a flock so it is a stress to the turkey to be alone.

When my birds where quarantined we had to step in bleach before and after entering the pen. And changed our clothes after. The inspectors dressed in space suit costumes. No delivereies or vistors could come on the property. Disease can be spread on the tires of trucks or cars.

If your not using all precautions then a quarantine is not very effective anyways.